top of page
This site was designed with the
.com
website builder. Create your website today.Start Now

How does Language Connect with Identity? 

Group Members: Scarlet Ng, Alex Fung, Jasmine Yeung, Bethan Charles

WELCOME!

 

Hong Kong has had a long history with the international community. Previously under rulership of the British Empire until the Handover in 1997, the influence of Europe and other countries has made Hong Kong a mixing pot for many cultures. With Cantonese and English as the official language of Hong Kong this can affect bi-racial people whose family's language and culture are neither. 

The 2014 demographic census published by the HKSAR estimated that at least 93.1% of Hong Kong's population were Han chinese while the other 6.9% were made up of  Indonesians (1.9%), Filipino (1.9%), and other nationalities (3%).[1]

But where do mixed children of Hong Kong fit in this statistic? 

 

“To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture.” 
― Frantz Fanon

Bi-racial people live in a unique situation, born from a generation that may not have firsthand experience with both of their parent's local culture. Most bi-racial people in Hong Kong are bilingual, they learn their culture and mother tongue directly from their parents. By interviewing Hong Kong residents who are bi-racial, we hope to gain a new perspective on the connection between language and identity.
 
The aim of this project is to explore the effects of language and cultural environments on a person's identity. This will help bring awareness on how exposured to multiple languages Hong Kong is and how that can affect a citizen's identity.  

Questions to be answered:

  • How does language affect a person's self-perspective in their society (Hong Kong)?

  • How does language connect a person to their nationalities heritage?

  • Are Hong Kong citizens exposed to a variety of languages? Why?

  • Which factors have the strongest affect on identity, culture or language?

  • does language and culture work together or separately when affecting a person's identity?

reference:

1. HKSAR Home Affairs, Race Relations Unit: The Demographic 2014, http://www.had.gov.hk/rru/english/info/info_dem.html

bottom of page